After a three-year absence following a knee injury suffered during her junior season at Baylor and the birth of her son Kingsley, the 6-foot-3 forward is back in business at Division II Dowling College.

Dowling, which hails from Oakdale, N.Y., will be gunning for a national title at this week's Elite Eight, which begins today at Greehey Arena. The 10th-ranked Golden Lions (28-3) make their debut against Colorado Mesa at 2:30 p.m.

Playing D-II basketball is a far cry from what Wilson experienced with Baylor in Division I, but that hasn't bothered her. It's still a chance to play.

“The thought of playing again was always there,” the East Coast Conference player of the year and defensive player of the year said. “It has been so special this season. It has been a team effort. I have to give them a lot of credit. Without them, I wouldn't be scoring or getting the rebounds.”

The way things have gone, Wilson seems likely to finish strong. She's averaging 17.2 points and 11.3 rebounds for the Golden Lions, the ECC and East Region champions.

Even though Wilson wasn't playing after returning to her home in Bay Shore, N.Y., she stayed involved as an assistant coach at her high school alma mater, St. John the Baptist. Teaching was enjoyable, but it wasn't the same as being on the court.

When the opportunity at nearby Dowling came, Wilson was ready. It took some time to get her legs back into basketball shape, but the rest of her game was still sharp. The previous experience didn't hurt, either.

“I think I have a better basketball IQ now,” Wilson said. “I wanted to use my basketball knowledge to be a better player and help my teammates if they had any questions.”

Having the former standout Big 12 player has been a big plus for Dowling. Wilson's experience and presence alone have made a difference, but it's been her approach that has impressed coach Joe Pellicane.

“(Wilson) has embraced this team,” Pellicane said. “She's been a great teammate. She looked at this as an opportunity to continue her education and play basketball. She's done well.”

Wilson's experience could come in handy this week.

She missed playing on Baylor's Final Four teams, but the forward was part of impressive showings by the Lady Bears in the NCAA tournament. This is Dowling's first trip to the Elite Eight after earning the program's first regional victory along the way.

Wilson expects her teammates to be in top form.

“You want to take the whole experience, but you don't want to be distracted,” Wilson said. “You have to remember why you came here.”